In today's network environment, an electrically controlled apparatus connected to a network is often shared by multiple users. An example of such an electrically controlled apparatus is a printer connected to a network. Such a printer operates to receive a series of jobs that were requested for output by multiple clients and the printer prints out the jobs in the order they were received. This is a convenient way of automatically making prints of requested jobs.
In the last years, there has been commercialized a complex system that provides a scanner (copier), a facsimile, and a printer in integrated form as a printer apparatus complex. The printer apparatus complex operates such that the printer successively outputs image data that was entered in each mode of the apparatus, such as a scan mode.
However, the electronically controlled apparatus that is shared by multiple users, or that with a plurality of modes (plural paths of image entry) is associated with a problem. Namely, it may take time to process a requested new job when the activity rate of the electronically controlled apparatus is high and the apparatus is operating at its peak with a plurality of jobs.
Further, operations of the electronically controlled apparatus need to be arrested when supplying expendables or replacing and adjusting (inspecting) components, which needs to be performed regularly to maintain a stable environment for the electronically controlled apparatus. Arresting operations of the electronically controlled apparatus, however, is inconvenient for the users and management of the apparatus should ideally be carried out to cause as few problems as possible for the users.
A recently proposed electronically controlled apparatus is provided with a monitoring system that enables the administrator or other users to grasp the operating status of the apparatus. This is achieved by the functions of the electronically controlled apparatus, whereby the operating history of the apparatus, managed and stored, is displayed in the form of a list or printed out, so that the administrators or users can see the history of operating status of the apparatus.
Such a monitoring system, however, poses a great difficulty both for the common users and the administrator to know the operating status because the system only displays a list. This is troublesome for the user of the apparatus when the regular inspection needs to be carried out at the time when the activity rate (operating status) of the electronically controlled apparatus is high.